The first presidential Democratic 2020 primary is still almost a year away, but we already have vice presidential drama. Normally, candidates don’t settle on a VP choice until after they’ve locked up the nomination (unless you’re Ted Cruz). But as a way to get a leg up on a crowded field, some Democrats are putting the vice presidential pick front and center. And others are putting their foot in their mouth.
For starters, there’s former Vice President Joe Biden, who hasn’t even announced he’s running, although he’s extremely hinted at it. According to Axios, Biden is contemplating running a primary where he’s already named a vice presidential choice. In this case, Stacey Abrams of Georgia.
Close advisers to former Vice President Joe Biden are debating the idea of packaging his presidential campaign announcement with a pledge to choose Stacey Abrams as his vice president.
Biden and Abrams apparently met last week to discuss the future. And while Abrams herself hasn’t announced her intentions—she could still run herself—Biden choosing a Black woman as his future VP would no doubt be an attempt to gloss over three large issues of concern: His treatment of Anita Hill during Clarence Thomas’ Supreme Court confirmation, his role in the sweeping 1994 crime bill that inordinately targeted Blacks, and his history of handsy conduct with women.
Whether this would be an earnest first step to come to terms with his past or a way to completely paper it over and shut down debate by pointing to Abrams is, well, a decision for you to make.
But while male candidates are tripping over themselves to announce their woke intent to pick a woman—Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) went on Ellen to say he would, and Beto O’Rourke promised to do the same—one candidate wants to know why the women don’t have to promise to pick a man.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) held a CNN Town Hall yesterday, where he wondered why all the female candidates don’t get asked about whether they’ll commit to picking a male vice president. When asked by CNN if he would pick a woman to run with him, Hickenlooper said he would. Then he said this:
“Of course [he would pick one], but … I’ll ask you another question … How come we’re not asking, more often, the women, ‘Would you be willing to put a man on the ticket?’”
Finally, the demand for male representation in the office of the vice president. An office that has been held by men for hundreds of years.
https://twitter.com/raju/status/1108582478082658304
https://twitter.com/SeeingDubL/status/1108571673593208833
Hickenlooper town hall and he asks if a woman candidate would put a man on the ticket. pic.twitter.com/ugzfWkZ566
— KylieMC (@theKylieMC) March 21, 2019
Making it a woman’s responsibility to ensure men stay represented in government is a curious platform. Let’s see how it goes.
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